A disaster turns 79. USS Indianapolis sinking leads to world's worst shark attack
It was 79 years ago when a Japanese submarine torpedoed the USS Indianapolis, a heavy cruiser carrying nearly 1,200 sailors and Marines. The ship was sailing back to the Philippines after delivering components for "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that helped end World War II. It sank in 12 minutes.
What followed next resulted in the greatest single loss of life at sea, on a single ship, in the history of the U.S. Navy.
Read IndyStar's prior coverage about the doomed heavy cruiser and the men who survived its tragedy.
When did the USS Indianapolis sink?
The USS Indianapolis sank shortly after midnight on July 30, 1945. The heavy cruiser was struck by two Japanese torpedoes. The first torpedo blew the bow off the ship, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. A second torpedo blasted into its midsection near the powder magazine, creating an explosion that literally split the ship in two.
How big was the USS Indianapolis?
The USS Indianapolis was 610 feet 3 inches (186 meters) long, according to Britannica. Roughly 900 men survived the ship sinking, of which only a little more than a third would be pulled from the water.
USS Indianapolis survivor: 'That first morning, we had sharks'
In a story published July 24, 2014, IndyStar reporter Diana Penner interviewed Corporal Edgar Harrell, just 20 years old on July 29, 1945. Harrell had finished his watch on the USS Indianapolis at midnight. It was, he said, unbearably hot and stifling where his berth was, so he got permission to make a pallet on deck, right under the barrels of the No. 1 forward turret.
Harrell had just dozed off. And then, a few minutes into July 30, the world exploded.
USS Indianapolis survivor: 'That first morning, we had sharks'
What kind of sharks attacked the crew of the USS Indianapolis?
It's believed oceanic whitetip sharks attacked the surviving members of the USS Indianapolis in what became known as the "worst shark attack in history." These grayish brown sharks, which can reach up to 11 feet in length, are considered a top predator in the tropical and subtropical waters they hunt, according NOAA Fisheries.
They are opportunistic predators, feeding on bony fish and squid but have been known to eat large tuna, marlin, sea birds, other sharks, rays, marine mammals and even garbage.
How long before the USS Indianapolis crew was rescued?
The ship sank on July 30, 1945. After four days, the survivors were discovered by accident on Aug. 2, 1945.
How many people died on the USS Indianapolis?
Accounts of how many people died in the sinking of the USS Indianapolis have long varied by one. Were there 1,195 sailors and Marines aboard the ill-fated ship — or 1,196? Did 879 men perish in the attack, in the water, or after rescue — or 880?
Two historians collaborated on a paper that helps explain the discrepancy, which boiled down to a record-keeping error.
USS Indianapolis death toll: Historians resolve mystery of how many men died in 1945 attack
The famous Indianapolis speech from the movie 'Jaws'
Actor Robert Shaw delivered perhaps one of the most haunting movie monologues in cinema history during the 1975 film, "Jaws," which itself heralded the age of the summer blockbuster. In the scene, Shaw's character, "Quint," reveals he was one of the doomed sailors serving aboard the USS Indianapolis when it sank into the Pacific. The moment is fraught with tension as he describes what happened when the sharks arrived.
"Sometimes that shark looks right at ya. Right into your eyes. And the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, he doesn’t even seem to be livin’… ’til he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, and despite all your poundin’ and your hollerin’ those sharks come in and… they rip you to pieces.
Actor Robert Shaw in the film "Jaws"
Shaw's speech is quietly horrifying, underscored to perfection with music by composer John Williams. Ironically, while most of what Shaw says is factual, his monologue contains one glaring error — the date. Quint says the disaster occurred on June 29, 1945, when in reality the sinking didn't happen until a month later. Putting that aside, the scene remains iconic, offering a rare glimpse into what survivors of the USS Indianapolis endured. Long before his work appeared in IndyStar, James Briggs' grandfather was in this newspaper. In 2020, the 75th anniversary of the USS Indianapolis sinking filled Briggs with regret over questions he never asked. "He was one of 316 men, out of a crew of 1,195, who lived to tell his story. He survived sliding down his ship into the water, he survived being covered in ship fuel and he survived spending five days in the shark-ridden Pacific Ocean with no drinkable water or food," Briggs wrote in his column. James Briggs: My grandfather survived the USS Indianapolis sinking. I never asked how he did it. In 2017, researchers discovered the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis at 18,000 feet below the Philippine Sea. News of the discovery came from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who led a 13-person team to find the lost ship. Wreckage of USS Indianapolis: How researchers found the doomed ship at the bottom of the Philippine Sea ▶ Rest in peace: Closure, finally, for USS Indianapolis survivor ▶ Retro Indy: The sinking of the USS Indianapolis ▶ The ones they left behind: Remembering their lost 'sailor boys' Former IndyStar reporters Dawn Mitchell, Leigh A. Hedger contributed to this article. John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at JTuftsReports.
James Briggs: 'My grandfather survived the USS Indianapolis sinking. I never asked how he did it.'
Wreckage of USS Indianapolis found in Philippine Sea
Learn more about the heroes of the USS Indianapolis:
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: USS Indianapolis 79th anniversary: Read our past coverage
